WHY DO WE BURY OUR IDOLS?
On April 21, 2016, Prince, an American innovator in music and film, passed away from an opiate overdose. He joins a long line of musicians who died at the hand of addiction and the strains of a life in the limelight. The fact of the matter is that this faith — early death from substance abuse — is not a unique one, especially for pop culture legends. Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, died of Propofol overdose. Whitney Houston died of indirect asphyxiation from cocaine usage. The harrowed “27 Club”, a name given to icons who died at the age of 27, is almost exclusively made up of those who passed due to overdose, including Jim Morrison, Amy Winehouse, Jimi Hendrix, Jean Michel-Basquiat, and Janis Joplin.
Though we look up to celebrities and the seemingly perfect lives they live — after all, they’re rich, they’re talented, and they have millions of adoring fans — we seem to neglect the fact that these lifestyles are not always healthy. Constantly performing and moving without time to rest is stressful. The critical eye of tabloid magazines following your every step is stressful. When people are unhappy, drugs, like opioids and barbiturates, seem like an easy escape from the unattractive nature of reality. Having your peace of mind for a short amount of time is so attractive that people neglect the long-term effects of a happy little pill or a sterilized needle.
Opiates are narcotics derived from the opium poppy. Examples include morphine, codeine (more familiarly known as the street drug, purp drank), and heroin. Their intended usage seems pure enough — they are pain-alleviating drugs, often used to treat coughs as well. However, they are also used to get high and their mind-numbing, “blissed out” effect becomes highly addictive in the blink of an eye.
Massachusetts has been affected by an opiate crisis for the past few years, one that has worsened greatly as of recent. According to Benjamin Swasey of CommonHealth, “There were 1,379 confirmed opioid-related overdose deaths in Massachusetts last year, an 8 percent increase over the number of confirmed deaths in 2014.” Governor Charlie Baker has made combating opiate drug use a priority of his and signed into law legislation that would provide support and evaluation for those addicted to opiates, especially people who might get hooked at an early age — students like us.
A great deal of this epidemic is due to the lack of support that those addicted to drugs receive --- regardless of whether they are celebrities with platinum albums or those living below poverty line. Addiction is looked down upon and has a largely negative connotation. Failing to provide a support network for those who face addiction — what it is truly: a mental illness — results in many lives being lost too soon. Great initiatives have been created in cities like Somerville, decriminalizing drug use and allowing for addicts to turn in their drugs and seek help without fear that they might be arrested for carrying. Following their lead is a step in the right direction. Addiction cannot be remedied by a jail cell, which people often refuse to understand. One can only hope in the future that more people do.